Tag Archives: film

Then go behind-the-scenes of this year’s Oscar winners at the UCSB Pollock Theater. Presented by the Carsey-Wolf Center, Script to Screen examines the process of translating a film’s script to the big screen from the perspective of the writers, directors, producers, and actors.

Don’t miss these insightful interviews with the people behind this year’s Oscar-winning films:

The Grand Budapest HotelOn creating the hotel: “It really started with maps. Rather than getting bogged down into making a fancy model or even really fancy sketches, which take a big time commitment to do, it was really sort of schematically laying it out…How do we lay that all out and get the action to flow?”

Go behind-the-scenes with production designer Adam Stockhausen and producer Jeremy Dawson who worked on Grand Budapest Hotel.

Whiplash“The idea was to write the saddest happy ending I could imagine…because it is true that Fletcher, in every single way, gets exactly what he wants in the end. And that hopefully makes the ending a little troubling…that, you know, that kind of behavior gets rewarded.”

Writer/director Damien Chazelle discusses the process of creating Whiplash — the story of a promising young drummer and his ruthless teacher.

The Theory of Everything“Stephen’s the character that everybody knows, obviously. …It was really fun to sort of delve into the domestic side of this world and see how much Jane — and often domestic carers in the world are not the most ‘sexy’ characters to bring forth in cinema — so I thought it was really wonderful how it was balanced.”

Screenwriter/producer Anthony McCarten and Producer Lisa Bruce talk about their film, The Theory of Everything.

Screenwriter Brian Nelson and producer Richard Hutton of Vulcan Productions visit UC Santa Barbara to examine their popular production from it’s very roots, discussing inspirations for the plot and how they utilized the space of just one house for almost the entire film.

Nelson talks about how Hard Candy has distinguished his career, saying that he is now frequently approached to work on movies about psycho killers, brilliant teenage girls, and containment, not unlike one of his other films, 30 days of Night.

There are films that are undeniable works of art. Others are just plain awful. And then there are those movies that, when you stumble across them on cable for the hundredth time, demand to be watched yet again.

What makes a movie so undeniably watchable? If Hollywood had the answer, epic bombs would be a thing of the past. But one way to get at least a little bit closer to this elusive secret is to learn from those who’ve managed to do it themselves. That’s what the “Script to Screen” series from UC Santa Barbara’s Carsey-Wolf Center, now available online, offers as it brings together creative talent to share their stories behind some modern classics.

Script to Screen: Back to the Future
Screenwriter and producer Bob Gale joins Christopher Lloyd, who played Dr. Emmett Brown, to share rare insights into the ” Back to the Future” series.

Script to Screen: Dead Poets Society
“Dead Poets Society” won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1989 and tells the story of an English teacher (Robin Williams) who uses poetry to inspire his students to seize the day and follow their own life path. Screenwriter Tom Schulman talks about writing the script, and inspires all of the screenwriters in the audience to pursue their own dreams.

Script to Screen: 10 Things I Hate About YouScreenwriting duo Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz bring down the house with their hilarious inside Hollywood stories. In addition to “10 Things I Hate About You,” their other films include “Legally Blonde,” “She’s the Man,” “The House Bunny,” “The Ugly Truth,” and “Ella Enchanted.”

If you’re craving more tales from the heart of Hollywood, check out the rest of the Carsey-Wolf series, named for legendary TV producers Marcy Carsey (“The Cosby Show,” “Roseanne”) and Dick Wolf (“Law & Order), featuring an impressive roster of talent making some of the most popular entertainment today.

Today it’s a permanent fixture in American popular culture, but the “Back to the Future” script was rejected over 40 times before it finally made it into production and, once it hit theaters in 1985, into our hearts.

In the first installment of the exciting new “Script to Screen” series from UC Santa Barbara’s esteemed Carsey-Wolf Center, legendary actor Christopher Lloyd, who so memorably portrayed flux capacitor inventor Dr. Emmett Brown, and “Back to the Future” screenwriter and producer Bob Gale sit down for an entertaining trip down memory lane as they share rare insights into the creation and enduring appeal of Marty McFly’s time travel adventures.

Watch “Script to Screen: Back to the Future,” online now. And stay tuned to UCTV for a conversation with “Dead Poets Society” screenwriter Tom Schulman and the hilarious Hollywood insider stories told by Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz, writers of “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Legally Blonde,” and more.

Daniel Day Lewis brings Abraham Lincoln to life in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” but it’s not just history buffs and movie mavens who are celebrating the big event.

In this edition of our terrific “The Atlantic Meets the Pacific” series, Stacey Snider, co-chairman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios, joins James Fallows to talk about her role in helping to make the landmark film a reality, as well as her experiences bringing masterpieces like “The Help,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “Philadelphia” to the big screen. Ms. Snider also speculates on the future of the film industry and reveals what she looks for in deciding to “greenlight” new productions.